Nebraska Is A Palate Cleanser Before Buckeyes Season Defining Game

Ohio State must avoid falling asleep at the wheel against Nebraska before a pivotal trip to Penn State next weekend

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; The Ohio State Buckeyes take the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Like a fancy Italian meal, the Ohio State Buckeyes will enjoy some sorbet on Saturday when they host Nebraska at The Horseshoe.

A 32-31 loss to the now No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks served as a bit of a sour tasting appetizer two weeks ago. In this new 12-team playoff era, one loss doesn't sink the Buckeyes. So much of that performance though made it feel as though things were pretty. bleak.

It was how the game ended – with will Will Howard sliding down as the final seconds ticked away, eliminating any hope of a last second field goal. The fact that an upperclassman laden defensive line made Dillon Gabriel look like the Heisman front-runner. The fact that the self-proclaimed "best secondary in America" yielded 341 passing yards, while getting absolutely embarrassed. Oh and fact that starting left tackle Josh Simmons was lost for the season.

After two weeks to stew on it, the Buckeyes now have an opportunity to cleanse the palate against Nebraska. That's no disrespect to a Cornhuskers program team that appears to trending back towards prominence under head coach Matt Rhule. A double-digit win of Deion Sanders Colorado Buffaloes serves a signature win this year and they have been competitive in their Big Ten schedule.

Nebraska has a one-possession loss to a No. 20 Illinois team, beat a Rutgers team that has taken some notable strides in recent years. They also have a potential program altering QB in true freshman Dylan Raiola, who may look like Patrick Mahomes, but doesn't quite play quarterback like him just yet.

Still, there's evidence that this program isn't quite ready to compete for Big Ten titles. Look no further than a 56-7 loss to No. 13 Indian team last week. Ohio State, with much more talent than the Hoosiers, should be able to do that and then some.

For the the Buckeyes this matchup is about cleaninf up many of the glaring issues that plagued them against Oregon and re-asserting themselves as one of the top teams in College Football. Anything short of a dominant performance is unacceptable.

What awaits on the other side though is the entree. A season-defining matchup against No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley, that will truly tell the story of the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Bucs boast one of the worst non-conference schedules in the country, which means another loss to a highly ranked team would paint a murky scene for their playoff dreams, especially with just one matchup against a ranked opponent remaining on the schedule.

The Penn State game is also setting up as yet another chance for Ryan Day to prove that he can beat a top five team. His 2-6 against such opponents is becoming too damning to ignore. Conversely, he's 5-0 against Penn State all-time, so if his first loss to James Franklin's program comes as they boast a top five ranking it would push Day's job security into critical mass.

First things first, take care of business against Nebraska. Give everyone a little sorbet and get this championship caliber roster looking the part once again.

Just recognize know that the next course comes with a little spice, that could alter the direction of the program for years to come.